Andrew RT Davies urges Suella Braverman to intervene over Gwent Police allegations

The Welsh Conservative leader has asked the UK Government to place Gwent Police into special measures as a result of allegations of misogyny and misconduct in the force.

Andrew RT Davies has written to Suella Braverman, asking her to step in. 

In his letter, he writes: “The political and operational leadership in Gwent Police have lost control, and I have no confidence in the ability of the Gwent Police Force’s senior leadership or the Police and Crime Commissioner in the area to tackle these deep rooted cultural issues at present.

“I am writing to ask you to consider placing the force into special measures. I fear the rot may be so deep that the force needs to be rebuilt in order to give confidence to the public and the majority of decent officers and staff in Gwent Police.”

Gwent Police has asked another force, Wiltshire, to investigate the allegations following the publication of texts and other messages on a phone belonging to a former officer Ricky Jones who took his own life in 2020.

The messages included racist, sexist and misongynistic comments. The Sunday Times has subsequently reported that other officers swapped naked images of a female footballer and joked about 'sex pests' in the force.

On Tuesday, Ricky Jones’ daughter told BBC Wales that the allegations should be investigated by the Independent Office for Police Conduct rather than another police force. 

That call was raised by the Conservative leader Andrew RT Davies in the weekly First Ministers’ Question session in which he first said he had no confidence.

Mr Davies told Senedd members: “I have no confidence in the senior leadership of the Gwent force, whether that be at officer level or whether that be at the Police and Crime Commissioner level. 

“These revelations are horrendous to say the least.”

He went on to say: “I have said I have no confidence in the ability of the senior management at Gwent police to rectify the situation. I asked you in the first question: do you have confidence?”

In reply, Lesley Griffiths, who was standing in for Mark Drakeford, said: “I do have confidence. As I say the Minister for Social Justice has met with both the Chief Constable and the [Police and Crime Commissioner] to discuss the concerns. As far as I know she hasn't had a further meeting. 

“You mentioned comments that the family had come forward with and it's really important that obviously people who do want to come forward with their concerns, if they have been a victim of any crime, that they do have confidence in the police force and that's why it's so important that  these allegations were dealt with immediately, which was certainly the case.

“I am aware of, for instance, the ex-Crown Prosecution Service head Nazir Afzal has called for a national inquiry on this issue, and I know it's something that the Minister for Social justice is obviously taking forward with Gwent to police and I'm sure she will seek a further meeting in relation to comments that you referred to that have been made to do by the family."

But when Andrew RT Davies pressed her about the idea of a national inquiry, she said that it would need to be decided by UK Government Ministers.

She said: “Around the view of whether a National Inquiry is needed, obviously policing is a reserved matter for the UK Government and it's it's really for them to decide if they think an inquiry should take place.”